OT: Omaha area Volleyball Clubs

[newAD]

Ok, I posted something similar to this about a year ago, so sorry for the repeat, but the wife and I are at decision time.

My daughter is 10 and will be in 5th grade. She has played for a coach with an older daughter for a few years, which meant playing up an age division every other year for the past four years. That mom/coach is hanging it up from coaching "Rec" volleyball. So we have reached the point of having to make a decision where she will continue playing volleyball.

My daughter will probably never get taller than 5' 9" to 5 10" (at best, at least that is what the growth predictors say), so I know if she is going to play in high school, it's likely she'll have to be a setter or libero. She also is playing basketball pretty seriously including over the summer, so I'm worried about making everything work between the two sports.

I'm looking for input from those who have had daughters (or nieces, friends, etc) in clubs in Omaha on their opinions on the clubs around Omaha. I basically know of Nebraska Elite, Premier, River City/TVA, and a relatively new one "Sunset West." Are there others???? Opinions good or bad on any of them?

A mom I know who has a daughter that got a D2 scholarship has told me in her opinion, to go with Elite or Premier if you are serious about their development. It does seem they have a lot of college alumni (I'd just be happy if my daughter can make her high school roster, as long as she continues to loves the sport and wants to do it). Those two are also pretty pricey, but is it worth it? Idk?

Also, if you've had a daughter go though the youth volleyball experience, if you had a chance to do it all over again, or if you could put yourself in my shoes, what would you do? Where would you steer your daughter? Any responses would be greatly appreciated, as I only have one daughter, so this is all new to me. I learned from raising my boys, that the decisions you make this early and even earlier, will impact their chances later.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

My daughters play for a top club in Colorado, we've been to nationals the last several years. I always see both Nebraska Premier and Nebraska Elite clubs at the same tournament, so they must be pretty decent. But again, the most competitive clubs aren't necessarily the best clubs for your daughter.

BTW believe me all 5-9 and 5-10 girls are not sentenced to a life of libero or setter only. Figure out what she is good at and focus on that; most parents will take a good hitter and average passer and spend a lot of time and money to make her a good hitter and good passer. It's better take what she is already good at and work to make her great - volleyball is like the animal kingdom, specialization wins.

 

[Dean Pope]

I cannot give you a good answer since I don't know much about Omaha club sports, but I can tell you this much. You are right to be concerned about the combination of club volleyball and club basketball. I know around the Lincoln area, the cost/expectations/time commitment of those two sports as wells as baseball, softball and especially club soccer has parents very concerned.

 

[BigRedPimp]

Most club coaches, if not all, want kids to specialize only in the sport they coach. Do what makes your daughter the happiest. As you said, you only have one so don't do something to pacify a coach for a season if your daughter will be miserable and turn her off to the sport or experience completely IMO.

 

[ThereIsNoPlace]

Hi NewAD - My one & only suggestion will be to NOT let your daughter specialize in one sport. If a club coach, or school coach for that matter, doesn't assure you of their willingness to allow multi-sport participation, move on. Here is one of hundreds of articles being authored by experts that are expressing the dangers of youth sports specialization.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...46bba6-3492-11e6-95c0-2a6873031302_story.html
If this link doesn't work, please just google "youth sports specialization" and you'll see the documentation for the dangers of specialization. Good luck to you and your daughter.

 

[vinyltinman]

I have a 10 year old who has been in the Elite fundamentals program for a couple sessions. It is unbelievable the progress she has made. It is a great program and I would highly recommend it. Just my humble opinion. Hope it helps.

 

[newAD]

Hi NewAD - My one & only suggestion will be to NOT let your daughter specialize in one sport. If a club coach, or school coach for that matter, doesn't assure you of their willingness to allow multi-sport participation, move on. Here is one of hundreds of articles being authored by experts that are expressing the dangers of youth sports specialization.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...46bba6-3492-11e6-95c0-2a6873031302_story.html
If this link doesn't work, please just google "youth sports specialization" and you'll see the documentation for the dangers of specialization. Good luck to you and your daughter.

If a VB club VB coach tells me.my daughter has to give up basketball, that will be her last day with that coach. That's my passion.

 

[nebcountry]

My wife coaches club volleyball, not in Omaha though. Here there are "local", "club", and "national" teams. The "local" teams cost less, but do not go to the big tournaments. The "national" teams travel out of state for multi-day tournaments. There are tryouts. I haven't heard of a player being told that they couldn't play other sports, though coaches will discourage it.

The age groups here start at 12-13. Under 12, and the kids can play on a developmental or prep team (no competitive play). I think the prep teams cost around $100/month. If your daughter can compete with the 12-13 year olds, I would think they would put her on one of the competitive teams if that's what you want. They also have what they call "practice buddies" for older/more advanced kids that only want to attend practices. It could be completely different in Omaha though.

Here's my advice. Decide what you guys want to do, especially if your daughter is really good. At 10 years old, be prepared that competitive volleyball may not be available. Coaching varies dramatically, ask who will be coaching your daughter and what their experience is (it could be a kid just out of high school, it could be a high school volleyball coach, it varies that much). If you have any concerns about cost, ask every question (how much, how often, extra costs, tournament costs, any other costs like team gifts/team parties).

 

[forNU]

Ok, I posted something similar to this about a year ago, so sorry for the repeat, but the wife and I are at decision time.

My daughter is 10 and will be in 5th grade. She has played for a coach with an older daughter for a few years, which meant playing up an age division every other year for the past four years. That mom/coach is hanging it up from coaching "Rec" volleyball. So we have reached the point of having to make a decision where she will continue playing volleyball.

My daughter will probably never get taller than 5' 9" to 5 10" (at best, at least that is what the growth predictors say), so I know if she is going to play in high school, it's likely she'll have to be a setter or libero. She also is playing basketball pretty seriously including over the summer, so I'm worried about making everything work between the two sports.

I'm looking for input from those who have had daughters (or nieces, friends, etc) in clubs in Omaha on their opinions on the clubs around Omaha. I basically know of Nebraska Elite, Premier, River City/TVA, and a relatively new one "Sunset West." Are there others???? Opinions good or bad on any of them?

A mom I know who has a daughter that got a D2 scholarship has told me in her opinion, to go with Elite or Premier if you are serious about their development. It does seem they have a lot of college alumni (I'd just be happy if my daughter can make her high school roster, as long as she continues to loves the sport and wants to do it). Those two are also pretty pricey, but is it worth it? Idk?

Also, if you've had a daughter go though the youth volleyball experience, if you had a chance to do it all over again, or if you could put yourself in my shoes, what would you do? Where would you steer your daughter? Any responses would be greatly appreciated, as I only have one daughter, so this is all new to me. I learned from raising my boys, that the decisions you make this early and even earlier, will impact their chances later.

I think I can help @newAD. My daughter has played for all 4 mentioned. Started with River City at 11 She'd played in Y and PAL league. She was always "serviceable" prior to club. With respect to any board members with kids in River City, that was by far our worst club experience. Inexperienced coaches, and now that they only play JVA which means a lot more travel and overnight ($) stays to you. She played Premier next, for 2 years. Good experience. No issues here at all.. With one exception, they appear now to be sending their top 2 teams (Gold and Black) to two National Qualifiers, which means in addition to the $1400? Fee to be on the team,factor in another $2500 for travel to qualifiers. My little angel didn't make the team she thought she deserved as she moved to 15's so she declined an invite to a lesser team and joined a "ready made team" with some girls she played PAL league with St Wenceslaus. This was with Sunset West. She played up a year and played 16's. Sunset West plays only Silver tournaments. Lesser competition, no travel. But it was only $700 per yr. she had a great time because she was a superstar in Silver tournaments. She also played Sunset West for 17's. She played up a year. Next year it was time to "sh@t or get off the pot" so to speak. I got a private try out with Tony Carrow who heads Elite volleyball club.. My daughter wasn't good enough to make the 1 team, so she was "guaranteed " a spot by Tony on the team he coached. The 2 team. They were very competitive and played only Gold tournaments. This was her favorite season of club volleyball. It was also the season where she realized she didn't have the talent, or physical ability to compete, much less start at Elkhorn South. Her Elite year was her epiphany. As parents, I can say I personally enjoyed her Premier years more than the others.. Rick Welsh and his wife (?) Marian, make an effort to know parents and have a good time with them on the road. They seem to enjoy the qualifiers and like to party if that holds any importance.

Sorry about the novel. To be blunt, be honest about your girls talent level. If you really think she has some talent, Premier or Elite. If she's average, probably not worth the money. Either way, cherish the time. It goes by very quickly. I've spent countless thousand of hours on rock hard bleachers and loved every minute of it.

 

[itsagimmie]

Ok, I posted something similar to this about a year ago, so sorry for the repeat, but the wife and I are at decision time.

My daughter is 10 and will be in 5th grade. She has played for a coach with an older daughter for a few years, which meant playing up an age division every other year for the past four years. That mom/coach is hanging it up from coaching "Rec" volleyball. So we have reached the point of having to make a decision where she will continue playing volleyball.

My daughter will probably never get taller than 5' 9" to 5 10" (at best, at least that is what the growth predictors say), so I know if she is going to play in high school, it's likely she'll have to be a setter or libero. She also is playing basketball pretty seriously including over the summer, so I'm worried about making everything work between the two sports.

I'm looking for input from those who have had daughters (or nieces, friends, etc) in clubs in Omaha on their opinions on the clubs around Omaha. I basically know of Nebraska Elite, Premier, River City/TVA, and a relatively new one "Sunset West." Are there others???? Opinions good or bad on any of them?

A mom I know who has a daughter that got a D2 scholarship has told me in her opinion, to go with Elite or Premier if you are serious about their development. It does seem they have a lot of college alumni (I'd just be happy if my daughter can make her high school roster, as long as she continues to loves the sport and wants to do it). Those two are also pretty pricey, but is it worth it? Idk?

Also, if you've had a daughter go though the youth volleyball experience, if you had a chance to do it all over again, or if you could put yourself in my shoes, what would you do? Where would you steer your daughter? Any responses would be greatly appreciated, as I only have one daughter, so this is all new to me. I learned from raising my boys, that the decisions you make this early and even earlier, will impact their chances later.

Youngest daughter played club volleyball & soccer from about 10 through high school and ended up with D1 soccer scholarship. Was it worth it? Yes because she loved playing both sports, liked competing and made great friends. This was an expensive journey as club teams travel a great deal so there's hotels, air fare, you pay club fees, coaching fees, etc. Tournaments often conflict with holidays when you would otherwise be with extended family and it's hard to fit in family vacations, especially if you have more than 1 child playing club sports.

Kids participation in club sports has evolved to the point that unless your child is playing in a club it will be very difficult for them to make their high school team. And if trying to play club in two sports there will be conflicts that escalate once your child gets into high school and you add these practices/games into the mix.

All that being said I know our daughter loved these experiences and so did her parents.

 

[H20SIS]

Great questions, I have two daughters and we made the choice to have them play premier. They are excellent. Elite is very good too. My oldest didn't play VB until her Jr in high school. She was mainly a BB player before that. She had several d1 scholarships for BB before playing VB. She ended up playin D1 VB and I credit a lot of of that to premier.

My younger daughter play's now for the top club in KC. Premier helped her find a team when we moved.

If you can afford it the top clubs would be best. The VB coaches at premier elite and nebraska jrs are some of the best in the country. Your daughter will learn all kinds of life skills participating besides just the VB training.

I do totally agree though if your daughter doesn't have the athletic ability and gifts then financially you may be happier at a program that requires less money and comittment. Also it's good to be realistic about her future but there are plenty of good front row d2 players that are 5 9 to 5 10.

 

[newAD]

I appreciate the replies and information, and would welcome more.

 

[ee-flow]

My daughter has played club volleyball for 2 years. Last year she played at the 13 silver level. I would agree that Premier and Elite are the best clubs in Omaha. They attract and develop the best talent.


That being said, there are a lot of volleyball clubs in Omaha for your daughter to join. Here is a link to the Great Plain Volleyball web site that has all the clubs in Nebraska: http://www.gpvb.org/page/2016-club-listings. In addition to the club listings, this web site has last year’s team rankings by age, and level: http://www.gphai.hoavb.org/HAI_P/T_TRNrankRpt2.php?A=J&C=W&S=A,C&F=fltr&H=T_TRNrankRpt2


I would agree with the other posters, that you need to be honest about your daughter’s skills, what she wants out of volleyball, and how hard is she willing to work to get what she wants, after all, you could be out a lot of money by making the wrong choice. In order to get answers, I would have my daughter go to the different clubs summer camps. Pay close attention to the style of coaching, what they are teaching, and the skill level of the kids at the camp to get some idea of what you should expect. If you can, talk to the directors or owners to see what their philosophy is (for example, Winning at all cost, player development, having teams for all skill levels). I know that it sounds stupid, but pay close attention to the older kids at the camps, specifically to their tee shirts to see what clubs they are from and their skill level.


I drove by Nebraska Elite today and noticed that they were having an open house July 15 and 16th. You may want to give them a call.to confirm and go check them out.

 

[JohnRossEwing]

Good lord

 

[newAD]

I drove by Nebraska Elite today and noticed that they were having an open house July 15 and 16th. You may want to give them a call.to confirm and go check them out.

I was there the past couple of days for a basketball tournament and didn't even notice the sign. I've been there more times than I can count for basketball, but I've never gone all the way down to the VB courts. I'll be there tomorrow and the rest of the weekend for both my son and daughter for basketball. I'll have to pke around a little.

 

[Tuco Ramirez]

... Also it's good to be realistic about her future but there are plenty of good front row d2 players that are 5 9 to 5 10.

I think kids' sports has gotten nuts, overall, but this particular idea drives me fricken batty. Kids shouldn't be picking schools based on where they can play volleyball (or soccer, football, badmitton, whatever). If a sport's scholarship (which small schools are notorious for jacking around with) is a big part of the reason they want to go to a school, they should consider somewhere else. College is about transitioning from childhood to and adulthood. Part of that is understanding that games have their place, and that place is secondary to more practical matters - like how well prepared you are to thrive in the world and how much debt you will rack up doing so.

rant over

 

[H20SIS]

I think kids' sports has gotten nuts, overall, but this particular idea drives me fricken batty. Kids shouldn't be picking schools based on where they can play volleyball (or soccer, football, badmitton, whatever). If a sport's scholarship (which small schools are notorious for jacking around with) is a big part of the reason they want to go to a school, they should consider somewhere else. College is about transitioning from childhood to and adulthood. Part of that is understanding that games have their place, and that place is secondary to more practical matters - like how well prepared you are to thrive in the world and how much debt you will rack up doing so.

rant over

I would argue playing sports in college, and even the process of just getting to that point, will teach a person more life lessons and transitioning then without. I know I learned way more life lessons from sports then I did in college and I have my masters. Just my opinion, but I know sports are not for everyone.

 

[newAD]

I think kids' sports has gotten nuts, overall, but this particular idea drives me fricken batty. Kids shouldn't be picking schools based on where they can play volleyball (or soccer, football, badmitton, whatever). If a sport's scholarship (which small schools are notorious for jacking around with) is a big part of the reason they want to go to a school, they should consider somewhere else. College is about transitioning from childhood to and adulthood. Part of that is understanding that games have their place, and that place is secondary to more practical matters - like how well prepared you are to thrive in the world and how much debt you will rack up doing so.

rant over

Completely have no idea what your rant is about? Do you want colleges to stop giving athletic scholarships? Should kids not have dreams?

What is nuts about girls club volleyball in Nebraska? .I'm glad that 3 natives were nuts enough to play the sport. Maybe you heard of them a few months ago????

 

[Tuco Ramirez]

Completely have no idea what your rant is about? Do you want colleges to stop giving athletic scholarships? Should kids not have dreams?

What is nuts about girls club volleyball in Nebraska? .I'm glad that 3 natives were nuts enough to play the sport. Maybe you heard of them a few months ago????

Perhaps it would help you understand what my rant is about if you actually took the time to read what I quoted when I made it:

"... Also it's good to be realistic about her future but there are plenty of good front row d2 players that are 5 9 to 5 10"

I think "select sports" for kids in general has gotten way out of hand, but that isn't what I was quoting.

Show me the good d2 front row players in that picture who are 5'9". Take your time.

What I was ranting on was the idea of having a college selection significantly influenced by whether the child will play sports. If you're going to send your kid to Doane because they have a great biology program. Great. If you're going to send them there because Doane is the school where the say Sara can play volleyball, then it's stupid. Is that clear enough. Being able to participate in interschool athletics is a frickn stupid reason for selecting a college. But that is a big marketing piece of many small expensive colleges. Why? Because kids and parents will buy it. Figure out where has the best academics for the dollar, and then figure out what the sport options. Maybe it's time to pick up intramurals.

 

[newAD]

Perhaps it would help you understand what my rant is about if you actually took the time to read what I quoted when I made it:

"... Also it's good to be realistic about her future but there are plenty of good front row d2 players that are 5 9 to 5 10"

I think "select sports" for kids in general has gotten way out of hand, but that isn't what I was quoting.

Show me the good d2 front row players in that picture who are 5'9". Take your time.

What I was ranting on was the idea of having a college selection significantly influenced by whether the child will play sports. If you're going to send your kid to Doane because they have a great biology program. Great. If you're going to send them there because Doane is the school where the say Sara can play volleyball, then it's stupid. Is that clear enough. Being able to participate in interschool athletics is a frickn stupid reason for selecting a college. But that is a big marketing piece of many small expensive colleges. Why? Because kids and parents will buy it. Figure out where has the best academics for the dollar, and then figure out what the sport options. Maybe it's time to pick up intramurals.

So in essence you are saying all NAIA schools should drop athletics. Got it.

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

I've found that the most vocal critics of select or elite youth sports weren't good enough themselves to play them, or their kid didn't make the team.

 

[NikkiSixx]

So in essence you are saying all NAIA schools should drop athletics. Got it.

Why should an academic institution give a scholarship based on athletics in the first place?

To me, it's a valid question..

Why place such a high value on athletics in lieu of skills that are of actual value to society like math, language, science, engineering, etc. ?

 

[newAD]

Why should an academic institution give a scholarship based on athletics in the first place?

To me, it's a valid question..

Why place such a high value on athletics in lieu of skills that are of actual value to society like math, language, science, engineering, etc. ?

Why are you, I and everyone else on this board.....on this board??

 

[NikkiSixx]

Why are you, I and everyone else on this board.....on this board??

oh I understand it.. I just wanted to ask the question is all.. I waste more time here than I should, that is for sure

 

[tro80]

If you're going to send them there because Doane is the school where the say Sara can play volleyball, then it's stupid.

That's one of the more asinine remarks I have seen in a while. So, even though my child wanted the experience of continuing to play competitively the sport that she loves in college, and because she didn't have either DI athleticism or the desire to be committed at that level, it was stupid for her to select a school because she liked the coach, the girls on the team and the fact that it is a competitive NAIA/GPAC soccer program? I'm sure all those DI players picked UNL because of its academic programs, right? Just because a kid isn't a DI athlete, doesn't mean playing a college sport is worthless, or that the coach, program and players don't matter. Most GPAC schools have very good academic reputation. So, if a kid wants to go to Doane because he/she can compete in a sport there, I can't see a thing in the world wrong with doing that.

 

[NikkiSixx]

Why should an academic institution give a scholarship based on athletics in the first place?

To me, it's a valid question..

Why place such a high value on athletics in lieu of skills that are of actual value to society like math, language, science, engineering, etc. ?

I better answer my own question before I create a s___storm of controversy..

I could say the same thing about music or the arts.. and I'm personally a big fan of all the creative outlets.

I think sports does teach teamwork, which we need more of in our society.

I also think it allows us to learn the limits of the human body, what is possible, how to train, how the body works from a nutrition standpoint, recovery, building muscle, the whole science behind it.

I think where people sometimes have issues with it, is when they see someone rewarded, very richly, for being able to shoot a whole lot of 3 pointers... or to be able to put that small little white ball in a hole in the ground with less shots than someone else.. that might be the point that rubs some people the wrong way.

 

[CheeseRunza]

I've found that the most vocal critics of select or elite youth sports weren't good enough themselves to play them, or their kid didn't make the team.

You mean like these bums.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/daily-take/201406/robert-horry-hate-aau-basketball-youth-coach

 

[litespeedhuskerfan]

I stand by what I said.

 

[nebcountry]

Perhaps it would help you understand what my rant is about if you actually took the time to read what I quoted when I made it:

"... Also it's good to be realistic about her future but there are plenty of good front row d2 players that are 5 9 to 5 10"

I think "select sports" for kids in general has gotten way out of hand, but that isn't what I was quoting.

Show me the good d2 front row players in that picture who are 5'9". Take your time.

What I was ranting on was the idea of having a college selection significantly influenced by whether the child will play sports. If you're going to send your kid to Doane because they have a great biology program. Great. If you're going to send them there because Doane is the school where the say Sara can play volleyball, then it's stupid. Is that clear enough. Being able to participate in interschool athletics is a frickn stupid reason for selecting a college. But that is a big marketing piece of many small expensive colleges. Why? Because kids and parents will buy it. Figure out where has the best academics for the dollar, and then figure out what the sport options. Maybe it's time to pick up intramurals.

College sports participation can provide a young adult with a lot more than an opportunity to play a game. In my day, the dropout rate for UNL freshman was 33% before the end of the 1st semester (or so I heard). Sports participation can provide a ready made routine, a group of like like-minded individuals to provide support and hopefully the right kind of peer pressure, something to look forward to every day, and hopefully adult role models/mentors for coaches. People can dream of playing in the NFL, NBA, PGA, Olympics etc., but unless they're delusional, they already know that's not gonna happen.

I would certainly encourage any parent and high school athlete to consider continuing sports at the collegiate level. Simply put, "best academics for the dollar" is your criteria. I can't argue with that, it is your criteria.

 

[CheeseRunza]

I stand by what I said.

From what I have seen, you could make the opposite argument as well, that many of the most "intense" proponents didn't play themselves and are living vicariously through their child's experiences. I have a son and daughters that have and still do participate in many "select" sports, and they have enjoyed them and in general are a great experience. But dang, sometimes some of the behavior you witness just make you shake your head.

 

[Tuco Ramirez]

So in essence you are saying all NAIA schools should drop athletics. Got it.

No. I really don't care what the schools do. What I am saying is that parents should not decide which schools their kids should go to based on whether they will be able to play sports. I think that's a fairly straightforward statement. If you feel the need to reword it, it may be because you can't defend any kind of counterargument to it. Or you are struggling with the English language.

What's Doane? $40k per year. So, $160k for a four year degree from Doane - a school very few people have heard out of the state of Nebraska. Whether little Sara gets to play soccer with her friends should be completely irrelevant to whether it is a good idea to send Sara to Doane. But, but, but....she's going to get a partial scholarship worth $5k, and if the coach says she does well, she might get a full ride her sophomore year. Yeah, don't care. Coaches always say that.

If it's a coin flip between two schools (based on academics, reputation, and cost) and at one she can play interschool sports and the other she can't, okay, cool. But to prioritize sports over academics, reputation, and cost is asinine. There is no future in sports for 99.999% of the kids who go the non-D1 route. There is a much better chance good academics will lead to a better future. The is a 100% chance that high debt will lead to a worse future.

People like to rail on the kids who rack up huge debt on degrees with little monetary worth. And that's reasonable. But no one mentions how much debt little Sara will rack up for a glorified sports league.

 

[Tuco Ramirez]

I've found that the most vocal critics of select or elite youth sports weren't good enough themselves to play them, or their kid didn't make the team.

I'm bored enough to field this one, with an extremely long winded response.

No, I'm not a great athlete. I did LL baseball for a couple of years growing up, and I was fairly good, but not great. I don't really remember any LL select teams. That was pretty much it for organized athletics growing up.
My favorite times were just meeting up with friends and playing pick up games. No parents. No adults. We kept score, but since the team was different the next day, the score was forgotten the next day. No, we didn't progress in our skills as if we had some trainer working with us. And it really didn't matter in the least. We did learn how to figure stuff out for ourselves and how to enjoy the game for what it's worth. I have no regrets about not playing select teams. I look at what I see today, in how parents approach kids' sports, and I find it truly baffling and completely alien to my sports experience. Growing up, I never once saw a drunk grandpa yelling at a little kids' soccer game. It's become comically absurd.

In college, I got into volleyball, first hard court intramurals and then eventually sand over the summer. I loved it, particularly the pick-up sand games. 4-5 days a week, a couple hours at a time, always mixing up the teams and learning different styles of play. I think that set me back maybe $25 for a ball.

My daughter played West Omaha soccer. That was really my first exposure to the kids' leagues. No, she wasn't a great athlete either, but she was pretty good. I certainly taught her more technique than her coaches did. She played a couple of years and always on a team of misfit kids, so I don't know if the won any games. After a couple of years, she wanted to quit, so she did. I was a little disappointed.
She got into volleyball in middle school and I looked into Elite. Yeah, I wasn't paying that much for her to play volleyball.

So yeah, I guess I wasn't good enough to make select teams, nor was my daughter. Yet we are still reasonably healthy and well adjusted people.

Currently we both play volleyball in a bar league, with my sister and a niece. It's great. She's a good player, but I doubt she will ever make the Olympics. I do hope she continues to play in intramurals when she goes to Lincoln in a couple of weeks.

I think select teams are nuts, but if that's what people want to spend their walking around money on, fine. But when that sports focus actually supersedes basic economics at the college level, that's where I find it irresponsible.

 

[forNU]

I'm bored enough to field this one, with an extremely long winded response.

No, I'm not a great athlete. I did LL baseball for a couple of years growing up, and I was fairly good, but not great. I don't really remember any LL select teams. That was pretty much it for organized athletics growing up.
My favorite times were just meeting up with friends and playing pick up games. No parents. No adults. We kept score, but since the team was different the next day, the score was forgotten the next day. No, we didn't progress in our skills as if we had some trainer working with us. And it really didn't matter in the least. We did learn how to figure stuff out for ourselves and how to enjoy the game for what it's worth. I have no regrets about not playing select teams. I look at what I see today, in how parents approach kids' sports, and I find it truly baffling and completely alien to my sports experience. Growing up, I never once saw a drunk grandpa yelling at a little kids' soccer game. It's become comically absurd.

In college, I got into volleyball, first hard court intramurals and then eventually sand over the summer. I loved it, particularly the pick-up sand games. 4-5 days a week, a couple hours at a time, always mixing up the teams and learning different styles of play. I think that set me back maybe $25 for a ball.

My daughter played West Omaha soccer. That was really my first exposure to the kids' leagues. No, she wasn't a great athlete either, but she was pretty good. I certainly taught her more technique than her coaches did. She played a couple of years and always on a team of misfit kids, so I don't know if the won any games. After a couple of years, she wanted to quit, so she did. I was a little disappointed.
She got into volleyball in middle school and I looked into Elite. Yeah, I wasn't paying that much for her to play volleyball.

So yeah, I guess I wasn't good enough to make select teams, nor was my daughter. Yet we are still reasonably healthy and well adjusted people.

Currently we both play volleyball in a bar league, with my sister and a niece. It's great. She's a good player, but I doubt she will ever make the Olympics. I do hope she continues to play in intramurals when she goes to Lincoln in a couple of weeks.

I think select teams are nuts, but if that's what people want to spend their walking around money on, fine. But when that sports focus actually supersedes basic economics at the college level, that's where I find it irresponsible.

How'd you make the decision on which bar you frequent?

 

[JohnRossEwing]

Don't most people just go to the closest one?

 

[Tuco Ramirez]

How'd you make the decision on which bar you frequent?

Best courts that are near by.

 

[newAD]

No. I really don't care what the schools do. What I am saying is that parents should not decide which schools their kids should go to based on whether they will be able to play sports. I think that's a fairly straightforward statement. If you feel the need to reword it, it may be because you can't defend any kind of counterargument to it. Or you are struggling with the English language.

What's Doane? $40k per year. So, $160k for a four year degree from Doane - a school very few people have heard out of the state of Nebraska. Whether little Sara gets to play soccer with her friends should be completely irrelevant to whether it is a good idea to send Sara to Doane. But, but, but....she's going to get a partial scholarship worth $5k, and if the coach says she does well, she might get a full ride her sophomore year. Yeah, don't care. Coaches always say that.

If it's a coin flip between two schools (based on academics, reputation, and cost) and at one she can play interschool sports and the other she can't, okay, cool. But to prioritize sports over academics, reputation, and cost is asinine. There is no future in sports for 99.999% of the kids who go the non-D1 route. There is a much better chance good academics will lead to a better future. The is a 100% chance that high debt will lead to a worse future.

People like to rail on the kids who rack up huge debt on degrees with little monetary worth. And that's reasonable. But no one mentions how much debt little Sara will rack up for a glorified sports league.

You seem to think a lot of parents out there will pay out the nose just for their kids to play in college? Some can afford to, but a lot can't. You bring up Doane. I know a lot of people (including a next door neighbor) who went there to participate in athletics. They had to have the grades too. AND they got some tuition breaks for the athletics participation too. I have a family member who almost went there to play sports, but decided against it due to the costs. Most parents I know weight those decisions very carefully, and it sure as hell isn't all about playing in college. Those that I know have had to ask themselves, is that cost worth it?

I know parents who have a daughter going to play D2 volleyball, that won't be a full ride, but will be a significant chunk, that they chose over NAIA and D3 schools due to cost.

There's no future in sports for probably about 90% of the kids post high school. So why in the hell are people so stupid to allow their kids to do them???

You say you don't care what schools do. Why then do you care what all of these stupid families decide to do?

 

[Tuco Ramirez]

You say you don't care what schools do. Why then do you care what all of these stupid families decide to do?

Because watching people do stupid things annoy me. When their bad decisions also saddle their kids, who are in the process of becoming adults, with additional debt, it really bothers me.

The schools aren't being stupid. They are engaging in successful marketing.

If this message board was only dedicated to discussion of issues which affect its members directly, it would be deader than it already is.